A typical passenger side airbag provides an outlet through which the airbag unfolds, covered by a passenger airbag door (PAB door), inside the PAB door is a steel housing that houses the airbag cushion. An inflator and a diffuser that transmits the gas of the inflator into the cushion are also provided inside the PAB door. A mounting bracket supports the diffuser and housing.
Several laws have been enacted to prevent breaking of the windshield by tearing of the airbag cushion, and incomplete unfolding. Strict laws for airbag performance have also been enacted. For example, in the United States, the “Advanced Airbag Law” restricts the amount of damage on a passenger due to the inflating force of the airbag.
Because the typical airbag module includes so many components in such specific relationships with each other, cost of modifying, test, and design is high. Also, the typical structure is heavy: about 3.5 kg.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.